Beauty or beast?

[scumdog]

Jamie-Lee Curtis - always does it for me - what about you other not-so-young KBers??

[Toaster]

yeah, like Eric Clapton, he's an ugly old fart, but there's just something about the way he plays his guitar that makes me go all tingly!

Same here (I love his creativity and talent for guitar and music that is). Spent a long time many years ago teaching myself to play some of his songs.... he is a true guitar legend!

[Toaster]

Beauty to me is looking in her eyes seeing so much depth, years of moments shared together, deep understanding, caring and sacrifice in action. Then she smiles and says to me......

..........Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

[slowpoke]

Beauty? What the eye perceives to be true is what the conventions of the culture dictate.

The general concepts of beauty in our culture has been defined through America movies. Prior to the advent on moving films the ideal woman of beauty was firmly rounded. Anyone who has seen the so called penny arcade photos of woman circa (1880-1910) will have noticed that these ladies or most of them would what we would call today as buxom. They were the ‘turn-on’ in their day. This was and still is in many males the ideal form of beauty. It derived from the old European traditions and had much to do with, for practical reasons, warmth at night; the idea that the bigger the woman the warmer she was in bed.

This ideal of beauty was never considered by the female aristocracy who for various reasons, not the least, to be different from the ‘masses’ prostitutes, barmaids etc whom the men seem to prefer to their own class.

With the ending of the Great War and the destruction of European monarchies and their attendant aristocrats the mix changed. Slender and economy along with mass producing of garments assisted with the new ideal of beauty. Gone was the ‘frump’ and the ‘slapper’ was the new ‘bonk.’ To put this crudely men liked their woman racy and the American image has been thus ever since.

Hmmmm, that may be the theory but in practice it doesn't seem to work that way. We have women like Cate Blanchett who's nose is too big, her mouth is too wide and there are few curves to speak of yet she is stunning. Natalie Portman has an almost elf-like beauty. Neither of these women are overtly "racy" in the sterotypical American mold yet they are both stunning.
As people have suggested the person's emotional/personal/moral makeup seems to have a lot to do with how attracted we are to someone. It's no coincidence that I like the small amount of the personality displayed by the women I mentioned above.
So there's another question: do you have to like someone to find them attractive, or does it just help?

Edit: looking at the below pic's I can't help but think the eyes are the key.....

[slowpoke]

Jamie-Lee Curtis - always does it for me - what about you other not-so-young KBers??

You'll be old enough to remember "WKRP in Cincinatti", mate....Loni Anderson was the stereoptypical blonde buxom bombshell (Jennifer) but it was always the understated Jan Smithers (Bailey) who held my teenage hormones hostage.

[skelstar]

So there's another question: do you have to like someone to find them attractive, or does it just help?

Definitely not. I know nothing much about, say Rachel Weisz, but think she is gorgeous. Perhaps it does help to see said beauty in movies playing roles that endears them to us?

I'm sure that the girls would feel this way with actors like Harrison Ford/Sean Connery etc ... handsome, yes, secret service/adventurer probably helps too.

[Skyryder]

Without 'allure' there is no beauty.

Skyyrder

[Joni]

Without 'allure' there is no beauty.

Mmmm, Chanel Allure is one of my favourite perfumes!

[Laava]

That was my point Its got to be the whale package.

Must admit, I've been attracted to the occasional plus size too! Boom chick a whaa whaa!

[Skyryder]

Jamie-Lee Curtis - always does it for me - what about you other not-so-young KBers??

Na not my type SD. Too bony looking. Oldies hhmmmmmmm. Juliet Prowse, Ann Margurette, man what I'd given to get squeezed by those legs. Always had a soft spot for Liz Taylor.

Skyryder

[skelstar]

Always had a soft spot for Liz Taylor.

Reckon at a 150 yrs old she would have a few soft spots too...

[ynot slow]

Reckon at a 150 yrs old she would have a few soft spots too...

Yes and part of it is jacko's nose and all that shit

[Skyryder]

Hmmmm, that may be the theory but in practice it doesn't seem to work that way. We have women like Cate Blanchett who's nose is too big, her mouth is too wide and there are few curves to speak of yet she is stunning. Natalie Portman has an almost elf-like beauty. Neither of these women are overtly "racy" in the sterotypical American mold yet they are both stunning.
As people have suggested the person's emotional/personal/moral makeup seems to have a lot to do with how attracted we are to someone. It's no coincidence that I like the small amount of the personality displayed by the women I mentioned above.
So there's another question: do you have to like someone to find them attractive, or does it just help?

Edit: looking at the below pic's I can't help but think the eyes are the key.....

I do think you are right about the eyes. Personaly I don't think Blanchet is an attractive woman although she does know how to make the best use of her features.

Liking may have something to do with finding someone 'attractive' but I think it is the reverse. Finding someone attractive will assist in you 'liking' them, at least in the first instance. The first thing I notice and that's both with male or female is the body movement. Posture and mannerisms for the want of another word. That's the defining feature for me with beauty. It's not necessarily a 'chemistry' connection but with the opposite sex it usually is from a visual point of view at least.

[Skyryder]

Reckon at a 150 yrs old she would have a few soft spots too...

I met her once. Cold cold eyes.

[MotoGirl]

Dont understand the attraction with Angelina Jolie. Sure she has a good body but so do lots of women and shes madas a hatter and her lips make her face all out of proportion.

Hallelujah to that! I think she's a bit of a bushpig. Same goes for Cameron Diaz 'cause I just don't get why people think she's hot :spudwhat:
I like 'em tall, dark and handsome but if they've got personality I can probably waive the handsome bit